XVI. CHATTERER THE RED SQUIRREL JUMPS FOR HIS LIFE XVI. VVERVITA ROȘIE SARE PENTRU VIAȚA LUI

It isn't very often that Chatterer the Red Squirrel knows fear. That is one reason that he is so often impudent and saucy. But once in a while a great fear takes possession of him, as when he knows that Shadow the Weasel is looking for him. Mais de temps en temps une grande peur s'empare de lui, comme lorsqu'il sait que Shadow the Weasel le cherche. Але час від часу його охоплює великий страх, як тоді, коли він дізнається, що Тінь Ласки шукає його. You see, he knows that Shadow can go wherever he can go. Vedeți, el știe că Shadow poate merge oriunde poate merge. There are very few of the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows who do not know fear at some time or other, but it comes to Chatterer as seldom as to any one, because he is very sure of himself and his ability to hide or run away from danger. Il y a très peu de petites gens de la Forêt Verte et des Prés Verts qui ne connaissent pas la peur à un moment ou à un autre, mais cela vient à Chatterer aussi rarement qu'à n'importe qui, parce qu'il est très sûr de lui et de sa capacité à se cacher ou fuir le danger.

But now as he clung to a little branch near the top of a tall pine-tree in the Green Forest and looked down at the big sharp teeth of Buster Bear drawing nearer and nearer, and listened to the deep, angry growls that made his hair stand on end, Chatterer was too frightened to think. Mais maintenant, alors qu'il s'accrochait à une petite branche près du sommet d'un grand pin dans la forêt verte et regardait les grandes dents acérées de Buster Bear se rapprocher de plus en plus, et écoutait les grognements profonds et furieux qui lui faisaient les cheveux debout, Chatterer était trop effrayé pour penser. If only he had kept his tongue still instead of saying hateful things to Buster Bear! Si seulement il avait gardé sa langue au lieu de dire des choses odieuses à Buster Bear ! Якби ж то він тримав язика за зубами, замість того, щоб казати Ведмедику Бастеру всяку гидоту! If only he had known that Buster could climb a tree! Якби він тільки знав, що Бастер вміє лазити по деревах! If only he had chosen a tree near enough to other trees for him to jump across! Якби ж то він вибрав дерево, розташоване досить близько до інших дерев, щоб можна було перестрибнути! But he had said hateful things, he had chosen to sit in a tree which stood quite by itself, and Buster Bear could climb! Mais il avait dit des choses odieuses, il avait choisi de s'asseoir dans un arbre qui se tenait tout seul, et Buster Bear pouvait grimper ! Але він наговорив багато ненависних речей і вирішив сісти на дерево, яке стояло зовсім самотньо, а Ведмедик Бастер міг би залізти на нього! Chatterer was in the worst kind of trouble, and there was no one to blame but himself. Chatterer era în cel mai rău tip de necaz și nu era nimeni de vină în afară de el. That is usually the case with those who get into trouble. C'est généralement le cas de ceux qui ont des ennuis.

Nearer and nearer came Buster Bear, and deeper and angrier sounded his voice. Chatterer gave a little frightened gasp and looked this way and looked that way. What should he do? What could he do! The ground seemed a terrible distance below. Le sol semblait à une distance terrible en dessous. If only he had wings like Sammy Jay! But he hadn't. "Gr-r-r-r!" growled Buster Bear. "I'll teach you manners! I'll teach you to treat your betters with respect! Je t'apprendrai à traiter tes supérieurs avec respect ! Te voi învăța să-i tratezi pe cei mai buni cu respect! I'll swallow you whole, that's what I'll do. Je vais t'avaler tout entier, c'est ce que je vais faire. Gr-r-r-r!" "Oh!" cried Chatterer.

"Gr-r-r-r! I'll eat you all up to the last hair on your tail!" Je vais te manger jusqu'au dernier poil de ta queue !" growled Buster, scrambling a little nearer.

"Oh! Oh!" cried Chatterer, and ran out to the very tip of the little branch to which he had been clinging. s'écria Chatterer, et courut jusqu'au bout de la petite branche à laquelle il s'était accroché. Now if Chatterer had only known it, Buster Bear couldn't reach him way up there, because the tree was too small at the top for such a big fellow as Buster. Maintenant, si Chatterer l'avait su, Buster Bear ne pourrait pas l'atteindre là-haut, car l'arbre était trop petit au sommet pour un homme aussi grand que Buster. But Chatterer didn't think of that. He gave one more frightened look down at those big teeth, then he shut his eyes and jumped—jumped straight out for the far-away ground. Il jeta un dernier coup d'œil effrayé sur ces grandes dents, puis il ferma les yeux et sauta – sauta droit vers le sol lointain.

It was a long, long, long way down to the ground, and it certainly looked as if such a little fellow as Chatterer must be killed. C'était un long, long, long chemin jusqu'au sol, et il semblait certainement qu'un petit bonhomme comme Chatterer devait être tué. But Chatterer had learned from Old Mother Nature that she had given him certain things to help him at just such times, and one of them is the power to spread himself very flat. Mais Chatterer avait appris de la Vieille Mère Nature qu'elle lui avait donné certaines choses pour l'aider à de tels moments, et l'une d'elles est le pouvoir de se répandre très à plat. He did it now. He spread his arms and legs out just as far as he could, and that kept him from falling as fast and as hard as he otherwise would have done, because being spread out so flat that way, the air held him up a little. Il écarta les bras et les jambes aussi loin qu'il le put, ce qui l'empêcha de tomber aussi vite et aussi fort qu'il l'aurait fait autrement, car étant ainsi étendu à plat, l'air le retenait un peu. Він розкинув руки і ноги так далеко, як тільки міг, і це втримало його від падіння так швидко і сильно, як він міг би впасти, тому що, розкинувшись так плазом, повітря трохи підтримувало його в повітрі. And then there was his tail, that funny little tail he is so fond of jerking when he scolds. Et puis il y avait sa queue, cette drôle de petite queue qu'il aime tant secouer quand il gronde. А ще був його хвіст, кумедний маленький хвостик, яким він так любить смикати, коли свариться. This helped him too. It helped him keep his balance and keep from turning over and over.

Down, down, down he sailed and landed on his feet. Of course, he hit the ground pretty hard, and for just a second he quite lost his breath. Звичайно, він досить сильно вдарився об землю, і на секунду йому перехопило подих. But it was only for a second, and then he was scurrying off as fast as a frightened Squirrel could. Але це тривало лише секунду, а потім він побіг геть так швидко, як тільки могла перелякана Білка. Buster Bear watched him and grinned.

"I didn't catch him that time," he growled, "but I guess I gave him a good fright and taught him a lesson."